Predatory schools fleeced GI Bill out of more than $300 million in a decade. Institutions defrauded VA and taxpayers, with some teaching how to grow grass and make fake rocks, a Post investigation finds. By Craig Whitlock (and me) wapo.st/4pW9eOt

How predatory trade schools drained $300 million from the GI Bill and failed veterans

Trade schools fleeced VA — and taxpayers — of more than $300 million, often by teaching short and easy courses, a Post investigation finds.

wapo.st

citizens for joe kennedy 1988 still churnin' out six-figure investment returns! wild stuff from @markalfred.bsky.social www.notus.org/money/stock-...

Everyone that Kaela and I talked to for this story (including DDOT) was frustrated–and everyone (including DDOT!) had a point. See where streateries survive, why they needed to change, and how the requirements are shaping the future of dining in DC: dc.citycast.fm/business-dev...

See Where Streateries Survive in D.C. – And Why So Many Disappeared · City Cast DC

Restaurants resisted. The city government dug in. What if everyone was right?

dc.citycast.fm

It's been hard to do my job this year. Being back reporting — and in print again — means more than I can say. Please spend some time with my story about a Trump administration crackdown on faculty speech at West Point, and one professor's lonely rebellion. wapo.st/4fo0lts

SCOOP: DCCC has at least once failed to tell House Democrats that it will interfere in a primary — after agreeing to keep them informed That incident and DCCC's loss in #AZ01 has led Dems to urge DCCC to reassess how it becomes involved in elections www.notus.org/2026-electio...

Sign up now for the NOTUS Metro newsletter for essential coverage of the D.C. region by @maustermuhle.bsky.social and @zaraleinorman.bsky.social! https://www.notus.org/metro-newsletter-signup

Have y'all been waiting with bated breath to learn more about the earliest Washington Post polls? Of course you have. Let's learn a little about "Joe Washington" I like Joe. He seems nice. @emgusk.bsky.social @sfcpoll.bsky.social (note Likert name-drop)

ICE detainees pay up to 2X what they would pay at Walmart for the same product

How a data leak unmasked an Idaho state employee raising thousands of dollars a month in subscriptions by anonymously promoting pro-Russian commentary, white nationalists and Nazi memes. My new story for @investigatewest.bsky.social: www.investigatewest.org/idaho-labor-...

Idaho labor economist ran far-right online accounts

Sam Wolkenhauer ran anonymous accounts that generated thousands of dollars in subscriptions while posting pro-Russian commentary, slurs and Nazi imagery

investigatewest.org

Obsessed with this chart from NOTUS's @andrewvandam.bsky.social www.notus.org/analysis/map...

Three million households in the U.S.'s heat dome this week lack air conditioning -- as many as 1 in 10 homes in Detroit, 7.5% of homes in Cleveland and 12% of houses in Rochester, NY: By @kcrowebasspro.bsky.social and @johnmuyskens.bsky.social: www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...

See where millions lack air conditioning as U.S. heat dome peaks

A Post analysis found about 3 million households without a cooling system in areas where temperatures will be intense, raising concerns about vulnerable residents.

washingtonpost.com

Goodbye, WaPo. It’s time.

Good stuff from @andrewvandam.bsky.social! (Moving from civil and environmental engineering to journalism is probably one of the worst possible financial decisions I could've made, but hey, at least I could sleep well at night:) www.notus.org/analysis/col...

Which College Majors Have the Best (and Worst) Career Paths?

Some majors led grads onto a steady career path, while others dumped them straight into retail or food service jobs.

notus.org

The federal government has deleted gender identity and/or sexual orientation data from hundreds of datasets since Trump took office. Now, data watchers worry that race and ethnicity data could be next. www.notus.org/us-news/trum...

Trump Has ‘Almost Completely’ Erased LGBTQ+ Data. Is Race Next?

The Supreme Court has given researchers more reason to fear the loss of race data.

notus.org

"Drawing election maps is one of many uses of the Census’ race and ethnicity data — but it’s the only function clearly required by law" I lead with this a lot when I talk to people about why we have interesting and rich data and it's very important.

andrew van dam@andrewvandam.bsky.social · last mo.

we've watched federal gender identity and sexual orientation data disappear for the past year and a half. in the wake of callais, could race and ethnicity data be next? big ol' story from @almsnatalie.bsky.social www.notus.org/us-news/trum...

we've watched federal gender identity and sexual orientation data disappear for the past year and a half. in the wake of callais, could race and ethnicity data be next? big ol' story from @almsnatalie.bsky.social www.notus.org/us-news/trum...

Trump Has ‘Almost Completely’ Erased LGBTQ+ Data. Is Race Next?

The Supreme Court has given researchers more reason to fear the loss of race data.

notus.org

It’s been three years since we formed our union. We still don’t have a contract. Over the next few weeks, you’ll be hearing from us — the workers of @propublica.org — on why this contract is so important and the issues about which we care deeply.

Exciting personal news — today is my first day as a business reporter at ProPublica! www.propublica.org/atpropublica...

ProPublica Hires Caroline O’Donovan, Ben Foldy and Kendall Taggart to Expand Business Coverage

propublica.org

A D.C.-based attorney spent three years fighting a $100 ticket he got from a speed camera in the city. He eventually won in D.C.'s highest court on a novel legal technicality, and thousands of other drivers could end up benefitting from it: www.notus.org/metro/dc-law...

This Lawyer Spent Years Fighting His $100 D.C. Speeding Ticket

Matt Ricciardi got the citation tossed out by the D.C. Court of Appeals. His victory could benefit other drivers.

notus.org

♥️🗞️goodbye for now to @thebarbedwire.com — it’s been an honor, and any newsroom would be stupid not to hire @carakelly.bsky.social @briangaar.bsky.social @iamleslierangel.bsky.social and @candibolden.bsky.social

@katiperry.bsky.social is an excellent journalist, skilled developer and delightful colleague and I can't wait to follow her work in this role! Great hire www.nytco.com/press/graphi...

Graphics’ New Hire With Focus on Polling and Elections | The New York Times Company

nytco.com

New NBER WP on California fast-food minimum wage. Link in next post.

Some news: After 25 years in newsrooms at @washingtonpost.com & @wsj.com, I’m helping launch a new research and testing institute to answer one of the most urgent tech questions of our time: What is AI doing to kids? It’s called the Youth AI Safety Institute at Common Sense Media bit.ly/4tT6FOp

What is AI doing to our kids? I’m going to find out.

After 12 years as a tech columnist, I'm helping launch the new Youth AI Safety Institute to test the AI products shaping childhood.

geoffreyfowler.substack.com

The FT @financialtimes.com is hiring a new data journalist to join our US data and visuals team in New York. Great job, great team, great place to work. Apply here 👉 job-boards.eu.greenhouse.io/financialtim...

This is a @caitlingilbert.bsky.social appreciation post. Caitlin this year is a Goldsmith finalist, a Livingston finalist AND a SABEW winner - for 3 different projects on topics ranging from VA benefits to vaccine skepticism to TikTok algorithms. Absolute boss. wallacehouse.umich.edu/livingston-a...

Presenting the 2025 Livingston Award Finalists

These Livingston Award finalists highlight excellence in reporting and storytelling by journalists under the age of 35. Here is the best work of 2024 from young reporters.

wallacehouse.umich.edu

Very good (if tragic) story from the Washington Post [GIft Link] wapo.st/3OONwh6 1/8

For U.S. medical researchers, shrinking labs and bare budgets are the new reality

The Trump administration has slashed the number of grants from the National Institutes of Health, with far fewer focused on women, cancer and mental health.

wapo.st

I genuinely do not understand management's refusal to agree to basic protections, like that they won't replace us with AI. It's baffling. Makes no sense. We're on strike to show management how serious we are about this, and how eager we are to get a contract done!

ProPublica Guild@propublicaguild.org · 4mo ago

We’re on strike today! Support our fight for a fair contract by NOT visiting the @propublica.org website or engaging with ProPublica stories today. Tell ProPublica’s management you won’t cross the picket line: actionnetwork.org/petitions/te...

It's not just you: Democracy is STRUGGLING. The US has lost its status as a liberal democracy. And we may now be in a wave of autocratization. 🫣 www.not-ship.com/democracy-in...